Kent City Council bestowed a posthumous honor upon a longtime city employee Wednesday by voting to rename a street after him.

Council voted unanimously to rename the alley running through the middle of the Davey Tree and AMETEK redevelopment block "Locke Lane" in honor of Gary Locke, who died Sunday following a 13-month battle with leukemia.

Locke, 56, had spent 32 years working for the city of Kent and most recently served as director of the Kent Community Development Department.

Councilman Garret Ferrara, who suggested renaming the alley, said the gesture was appropriate given Locke's contribution to the downtown redevelopment as a member of the city's senior administration.

One year ago, council made a similar gesture when it voted to rename Alley 4 behind the Acorn Alley redevelopment "Burbick Way" in honor of developer Ron Burbick.

A formal dedication ceremony has not yet been scheduled.

"I think many of us had the same thought, so it seems like it’s the right thing to do," Councilwoman Heidi Shaffer said.